The French international has become a vital part of the Reds' defence

Mamadou Sakho of Liverpool warms up before the Barclays Premier League match bewteen Liverpool and Manchester United

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“Man of character” Mamadou Sakho has revealed his happiness at being at Liverpool FC - now his frustrations over the language barrier have disappeared.

The Frenchman arrived from Paris St-Germain in the summer of 2013 and, after a period of adapting to the club, is now first-choice in Brendan Rodgers’ back three alongside Martin Skrtel and Emre Can.

It is a big turnaround for Sakho, who spent the first half of the season struggling with injuries, and was also left out of the squad for the Merseyside derby at Anfield in September - prompting the defender to leave the stadium before kick-off.

Sakho, who is preparing for France’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Denmark, as well as a friendly against Brazil, says he’s now happy at the Reds.

“I feel good,” Sakho reportedly told L’Equipe.

“Language (was a problem initially). I am a man of character so I feel frustrated when I cannot express myself; and it becomes worse when others fail to understand me.

“Some told me to speak French, as it would have allowed me to feel a little more free. But when I spoke French on the pitch for substitutes and stuff like that, no one understood me.

“I told myself, ‘it is useless, I really need to learn (English)’. It took me a while but now it’s fine.”